Cultural appeal

This time of the year, there’s no shortage of fun things to do in Henrico County.

For example, on two recent weekends, some of the county’s diverse music and dance offerings were on display at three events.

You could enjoy performances by a Latin ballet company, a church choir and Asian Indian dancers.

Ana Ines King, director of the Latin Ballet of Virginia, and two members of the Glen Allen-based company performed June 23 at the CultureWorks CultSha Xpo.

Dressed in a shimmering, floor-length red dress and fringed shawl, King performed a Spanish flamenco on the Science Museum of Virginia’s rotunda stage.

Her dance featured beautiful fluid motions alternating with swirling spins as her shawl stayed in almost-constant motion. She twirled across the small stage, punctuating the dance with rapid-fire footsteps.

Afterwards, King introduced two young dancers costumed in brilliant, tropical colors. The duo performed a hot Caribbean rumba.

For the finale, the trio invited spectators onto the stage for a group dance lesson.

King, who founded the company, said the arts play a dominant role in Latin cultures.

“The most important part of the culture and part of the history is actually dance and music and without that we cannot live,” King said.

The following day in Chester another kind of dance took center stage.

Henrico County resident Bina Shah hurried around the expansive Cultural Center of India making last-minute arrangements for the final day of the Taste of India event.

About 100 people, many from Henrico, performed at the two-day festival. Sunday’s opening performance was a classical Indian dance called Bharat Natyam. The dance, performed by four teens, featured elaborate traditional dress and a tribute to Lord Ganesha, the Indian elephant god.

Shah said the event’s music, dance and food were an opportunity for people to learn about India’s culture without leaving the country.

“We take them to India without going to India… you experience India here,” she said.

The following weekend it was busy at Gravel Hill Center in Varina despite damaging storms the night before and a temperature of 100 degrees by noon on Saturday.

The historic community hosted its “Civil War to Civil Rights” event as part of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Glendale.

About a dozen members of Gravel Hill Baptist Church’s combined choir gathered under a large white tent dressed casually in the steamy weather.

Accompanied by Alvin Campbell, a music teacher at Highland Springs High School, the choir sang four songs including, “We’ve Come This Far By Faith” and “Amazing Grace.”

James Washington Jr., chairman of the church’s music committee, said gospel music appeals to people across many cultures.

“Anybody can sing gospel music. As long as your heart is right and you have the right spirit, you can sing gospel music,” Washington said. “Gospel music is something that everybody can relate to.”

Even if you missed these performances, Henrico County’s broad range of cultural events take place year round. The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen is one of the county’s busiest venues.

“We make certain that our performance offerings are culturally diverse,” said Anita Waters, director of public relations and marketing for the center. “Over the [past] five years … we have strategically included the Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats, The Harlem Gospel Choir, Kenya Safari Acrobats, Ezibu Muntu African Dance Company and Eleone Dance Theatre to name a few, as a way to allow our patrons the ability to experience the artistic styles from different cultures and ethnicities.”

So even when this summer’s heat melts into fall and eventually winter, there will still be plenty of opportunities to experience a diverse range of arts, music and dance in Henrico County.

This story is part of the Virginia Tapestry series, which is produced by In Your Shoes Media. For details about each of the organizations described in this article, visit http://www.artsglenallen.com; http://www.gravelhillbaptistchurch.com/home; and http://www.latinballet.com

RAMPS (Ramp Access Made Possible by Students) recently received an $8,000 grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The award was one of 75 grants totaling more than $600,137 awarded by the Reeve Foundation to nonprofit organizations nationwide that provide more opportunities, access, and daily quality of life for individuals living with paralysis, their families and caregivers.

RAMPS, an organization founded by then-Henrico County high school students to build ramps for local low-income residents who need them, will use the grant to purchase modular wheelchair ramp supplies. These supplies will be used by local high school RAMPS clubs, who provide volunteers to build the ramps. > Read more.

Henrico resident Larry Loving, Jr., will compete with three other locals – Thomas Scribner (Richmond), Roscoe McGhee (Midlothian) and Larry Loving (Richmond) in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational National Finals at TPC Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 26-Mar. 1. The foursome qualified for the national golf tournament by winning the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational, held at Whiskey Creek Golf Club in Ijamsville, Md. on June 11. That event supported the RiteCare Center for Childhood Language Disorders.

The Henrico Police Athletic League (PAL) held its Sixth Annual Awards Banquet Feb. 5 at The Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen, celebrating accomplishments of 2014 and recognizing outstanding contributions to the organization. Henrico County Juvenile Domestic Court Judge Denis Soden served as master of ceremonies and former Harlem Globetrotter Melvin Adams served as keynote speaker.

Among the 2014 honorees were Richmond International Raceway (Significant Supporter), Richmond Strikers Soccer Club (Significant Supporter), Henrico County Schools-Pupil Transportation (Summer Camp Supporter), Bruce Richardson, Jr. (Youth of the Year), Sandra Williams (Volunteer of the Year), Thomas Williams (Employee of the Year), Mikki Pleasants (Board Member of the Year), and Michelle Sheehan (Police Officer of the Year). > Read more.

It was another win for Willow Lawn when Travinia Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar opened there six months ago, nestled in the heart of the re-made shopping center. The contemporary American Italian restaurant boasts 13 locations up and down the East Coast, with the Henrico location opening in August.

In the same week, I hit up Travinia twice, once for lunch and once for a late dinner. At lunchtime on a weekday, I was overwhelmed by the smell of garlic and by the number of working professionals in nice suits on their lunch breaks. When we first walked in, I was concerned our meal would be a little too pricey based on the décor – it’s a really nice place. Luckily, the menu has a variety of options for every budget. > Read more.

There’s a ton of sugar in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. Literal sugar, as SpongeBob Squarepants (Tom Kenny) and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) inhale their own weight in cotton candy and eat ice cream, one scoop per mouthful.

At one point we burrow into the brain of our boxy yellow hero and discover the inner workings of his brain: googly-eyed cakes and candies that giggle and sing. All of which is extremely appropriate for a film like Sponge Out of Water. Because not only is the movie sweet (the “awwww” kind of sweet), but it’s the equivalent of a 30-candy bar sugar rush, zipping between ideas like a sponge on rocket skates.

The story under all this is really not that complicated. SpongeBob flips burgers at the Krusty Krab. > Read more.

With this last round of snow still fresh on the ground, the best way to start the weekend may be at Southern Season for their weekly wine-tasting program, Fridays Uncorked. Families with cabin fever will enjoy the Richmond Kids Expo, taking place tomorrow at the Richmond Raceway Complex. Some date night options include the Rock & Roll Jubilee at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, HATTheatre’s production of “The Whale” and National Theatre Live’s “Treasure Island” at the University of Richmond. For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.